Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 150th Anniversary of Tioga State Bank. Reaching this milestone is a testament to the hard work and commitment displayed by the Fisher family, which has operated the bank for five generations since its inception in 1864.

Over the past 150 years, Tioga State Bank has been a beacon of excellence in our community. It has continuously displayed steadfast dedication to providing financial services, creating local jobs and contributing to a vibrant economy while faithfully serving the needs of its constituents. The bank has also embraced community service, demonstrated by a recent $20,000 donation to local food pantries in New York's 23rd Congressional District.

A core principle contributing to the success of Tioga State Bank is the commitment to ``fiscally conservative'' banking practices. This standard has enabled Tioga State Bank to stand the test of time through changing cultural and economic conditions. The business's proven track record of local job creation and economic impact has enabled Tioga State Bank to open new branches and expand into neighboring regions.

I once again congratulate Tioga State Bank on achieving 150 years of banking, service and commitment to caring for the local community. The bank is a strong example of entrepreneurial spirit and a small business's ability to blossom into an established and respected institution. I am proud to recognize this great achievement and I look forward to witnessing the continued growth and success of Tioga State Bank.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a team from Alfred State College of Technology and Alfred University selected to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015. The team will complete a series of projects and initiatives, culminating in the construction of an energy-efficient, solar-powered house. Selection for participation in this event is a remarkable honor, with positions awarded to only 20 collegiate teams from across the country and around the world.

Throughout the competition, students will develop energy-efficient designs, products, and technologies. The Solar Decathlon will provide students with practical training in engineering and architecture fields while allowing them to gain real-world experience. Students will gain valuable skills, enabling them to pursue careers in the expanding clean energy industry.

The availability of renewable energy is essential in today's world. Energy-efficient designs and technologies reduce costs and energy consumption while protecting local communities and facilitating economic growth. As the need for energy continues to grow it is critical that we develop new methods for producing sustainable sources of renewable energy. Solar Decathlon 2015 will encourage a new generation of young engineers and entrepreneurs to face this challenge. I am confident that these students will develop innovative solutions and new technologies that will benefit families and businesses in my district and across the country.

I once again congratulate the team of students from Alfred State College of Technology and Alfred University on their participation in Solar Decathlon 2015. I am proud to recognize this great achievement and I look forward to witnessing the great things that these students will accomplish.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Westfield Academy and Central School educator, Kent Knappenberger on receiving the Music Educator Grammy Award. Mr. Knappenberger, a middle school and high school music teacher in Westfield, New York, was recently announced as the inaugural winner of this prestigious award.

Mr. Knappenberger, who holds a Master's Degree from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, accepted the award on January 25th in Los Angeles, California at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Nominees Reception with his wife, Nannette, and children in attendance. Kent was selected from over 30,000 initial nominations from all 50 States.

The Music Educator Award was created this year to bring attention to the lasting impact that teachers can have on their students both in and out of the classroom. Mr. Knappenberger is a world-class example of an educator whose 25 years of experience has had profoundly positive impacts on students' lives. In fact, Kent was nominated for this Grammy Award a total of three times--twice by former students and once by a former student's mother. This is a fitting example of the impact he has on the local community and his students' lives.

I once again congratulate Kent Knappenberger on receiving this Grammy Award and wish him continued success at Westfield Academy for many years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I am writing to inform you that I was detained on December 5, 2013 and was unable to be on the House floor for votes related to H.R. 3309, the Innovation Act. Had I been there, I would have voted as follows: rollcall vote 623: Goodlatte Amendment for H.R. 3309: ``yes''; rollcall vote 624: Watt Amendment for H.R. 3309: ``no''; rollcall vote 625: Massie Amendment for H.R. 3309: ``no''; rollcall vote 626: Jackson Lee Amendment for H.R. 3309: ``no''; rollcall vote 627: Rohrabacher Amendment for H.R. 3309: ``no''; rollcall vote 628: Conyers Amendment for H.R. 3309: ``no''; rollcall vote 629: On Final Passage of H.R. 3309: ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise to highlight yet another of the unintended consequences of the Democratic health care law.

Because of the employer mandate in ObamaCare, our volunteer fire departments and emergency response organizations are at risk of having their volunteers be considered employees and are, therefore, being forced to choose between retaining those volunteers and using their precious resources to comply with this mandate or cutting those volunteers and the vital services they provide to our communities.

As I have heard from people in my district, Cattaraugus County Office of Emergency Services, the impact would be absolutely detrimental to critical services in rural areas like Cattaraugus County.

I ask Congress to fix this unfair burden on our emergency volunteers and support H.R. 3685, the Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act, introduced by my good friend, Representative Lou Barletta.

Mr. Speaker, we're here today because of a heinous act that took place in Webster, New York on December 24th, 2012, when a group of volunteer firefighters responding to a fire was ambushed by a gunman who had deliberately set the fire. Two firefighters were killed and two others were injured.

While donations for the firefighters and their families were made to the West Webster Fire Department, a 501(c)(3) organization, the rules governing non-profit groups prevent the funds from being distributed in a way that does not further the organization's exempt purpose. In this case, these rules prevented the donations from being distributed as intended to the victims and their families.

I am proud to stand here today in support of the ``Fallen Firefighters Assistance Tax Clarification Act of 2013,'' introduced by my colleague from New York Rep. Louise Slaughter to address the error and help care for these firefighters and their families.

With the anniversary of this terrible act approaching, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring the memory and sacrifice of these volunteer responders and approve this common sense legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Ways and Means be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 3458) to treat payments by charitable organizations with respect to certain firefighters as exempt payments, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 11 a.m., Monday, December 16, 2013.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the William Smith College soccer team, which recently won the 2013 NCAA Division III National Championship. On December 7, 2013, the Herons concluded their record-breaking season with a 2-0 victory over Trinity University, successfully capturing their second national championship title in program history.

Setting new standards for the William Smith soccer program, the Herons completed their season with a record of 23-1-0. Their impressive winning streak of twenty-three games broke the previous school record. Remarkably, twenty-one of those games were complete shutouts, including all six victories in the NCAA tournament. The Herons have now competed in the Final Four ten times in the past twenty-five years and have won the Liberty League title in seven consecutive seasons.

Following the championship game, five players from this incredibly talented squad were named to the NCAA Women's All-Tournament Team. Forward Kara Shue, midfielder Zoe Eth, and goalkeeper Chelsea Dunay were among those who were recognized. In addition, forward Krista Longo and defender Olivia Zitoli were respectively named Most Outstanding Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year.

This gifted team was led by their accomplished and experienced coach, Aliceann Wilber. As the only head coach that the William Smith Herons have ever known, Coach Wilber's 34th season proved to be her most successful yet. The national championship marked Wilber's 480th career win, making her the winningest coach in Division III women's soccer history. She also became the first female collegiate soccer coach to earn more than 400 career wins.

The 2013 William Smith College soccer team demonstrated that hard work and dedication truly pay off. I have no doubt that under the leadership of Coach Wilber, the Herons will continue their extraordinary level of success in the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight a framework I have designed which will begin to address the challenging fiscal issues we face as a Nation. This proposal is to deal with the impending debt ceiling crisis that will be coming upon us in February or shortly thereafter.

I am pleased to hear recent news today of a budget agreement dealing with a potential government shutdown resolution that avoids governing by crisis, but we have the debt ceiling issue right behind. What I have put forth, Mr. Speaker, is an honest, sincere proposal consisting of three steps to reduce our spending on the Federal level, address our Nation's broken Tax Code, and ensure the solvency of Social Security and Medicare.

Mr. Speaker, I outlined the proposal in a letter sent to the President on November 15 of this year, and that letter reads:

Dear Mr. President,

It is time. As I have expressed before in writing to you

and members of your administration, I am very interested in

working with you in a bipartisan manner to implement long-

term solutions to America's debt problems. Our impending debt

crisis and threats to the solvency of Social Security and

Medicare must be solved now before they reach catastrophic

levels. I urge you to work with Congress to achieve a long-

term solution. As such, I would like to take you up on your

public offer to discuss ideas and implement solutions that

will no longer force us to govern through crises, cliffs, or

shutdown deadlines.

On October 16, 2013, you stated you are ``Willing to work

with anybody . . . Democrat or Republican, House or Senate

Members on any idea that will grow our economy, create new

jobs, strengthen the middle class, and get our fiscal house

in order for the long term.'' To that end, I submit the

following honest proposal which I truly believe will take a

small but significant step forward toward more responsible

governance. Also, I hope it might change the culture of

Washington, D.C., to an environment where good policy

triumphs over politics.

As you can see, the honest proposal is a multistep vision

and plan summarized as follows:

Step 1, raise the February 7, 2014, debt ceiling limit in

an amount equal to the total CBO score of spending

reductions, reforms, and removal of waste, fraud, and abuse

within government operations that have already been

identified and supported on a bipartisan basis. Attached,

please find a list of $573 billion of such government reforms

and spending reductions already identified to date.

Step 2a, upon completion of step 1, we will then move to

step 2. In step 2, what we would propose is votes in the

House and Senate on their respective visions for

comprehensive tax reform and also for reform of our

entitlement programs to ensure their solvency for another

generation would occur. If those votes occur in the House and

Senate, there would be automatic relief of the debt ceiling

cap for an additional year.

And then we would move to step 3, Mr. President. Step 3

would essentially say, if in the House or the Senate we enact

either one of those long-term solutions through our Tax Code

or through our entitlement crisis with our Social Security

and Medicare insolvency coming down on us, we would

immediately, in step 3, relieve the debt ceiling for an

additional 2-year period of time. This would mean, Mr.

President, the debt ceiling restraint would no longer impact

your administration as it would be automatically extended

beyond the end of your administration's term.

I kindly request you review this proposal and then meet to

discuss how it can be improved and implemented. To me, this

is an honest proposal which will put Americans first and

begin to address the pressing issues of our day. We have

major debt issues that cannot wait any longer. Our arcane Tax

Code stifles economic growth, and the fiscal health of Social

Security and Medicare is worsening beyond control. If we

solve these two challenges, we will place our children and

grandchildren and our Nation's finances in a far better

position than where they are now projected to be. To me, this

adheres to a fundamental rule that we must pass America on to

our next generation in a better condition than which we found

her.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and working with

you to prevent the dire consequences of failing to address

these challenges.

Mr. Speaker, I have yet to receive a response from the President, not even a courtesy response so I know it was received and not lost in the mail between my office in the Longworth Building and the White House, less than 2 miles away.

So I take to the floor of the House today to have my proposal officially recorded and to lay out this framework to get our Nation on a path of fiscal sustainability, to get our American fellow citizens back to work by fixing our Tax Code, and solving the entitlement crisis that is impending upon us.

With that, I ask us to join in this proposal and ask the President to join us in a bipartisan manner to address these concerns.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life, service, and sacrifice of a constituent, Corporal George Conklin. Mr. Conklin of Phelps, New York, enlisted in the United States Army in 1949 at the young age of seventeen to answer our nation's call to service during the Korean War. Tragically, it took sixty-four years for him to return home.

George Conklin was serving in the 7th Infantry Division's 31st Regimental Combat Team as a Private First-Class in Korea when he disappeared on December 2, 1950. Wounded in the leg, he was loaded onto a transport truck for evacuation, but soon thereafter, he and his colleagues went missing. It was not until the conclusion of the war in 1953 that Corporal Conklin was formally classified as ``Killed In Action.'' The U.S. Army posthumously promoted him to the rank of Corporal and awarded him the Purple Heart.

Corporal Conklin's family never gave up hope that one day he would return home. The family waited for over sixty years until this past September, when his niece, Karen DesCamp, finally received the news that she and George's other relatives had waited a lifetime for. After one of George's brothers donated a DNA sample to the Pentagon, Corporal Conklin's remains were positively identified at a laboratory in Hawaii.

It is with humble appreciation that I acknowledge Corporal George Conklin's return home to Ontario County. Hundreds of civilians and military veterans joined a military honor guard to give him a final welcome home as the plane carrying his casket touched down in Rochester. He was then laid to rest next to his predeceased parents and two brothers in upstate New York.

I cannot begin to imagine the feelings and emotions that have afflicted his family over the past six decades, but I am relieved to know that Corporal Conklin is finally back where he belongs, resting peacefully beside his loved ones. His ultimate sacrifice for the good of our nation and preservation of our freedom will never be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to recognize the month of November as National Diabetes Awareness Month.

It is observed every year in November to raise awareness of diabetes across America; but I am here to tell you, Mr. Speaker, diabetes is a 365-day, 24-hour-a-day, 7-days-a-week disease that kids and adults that deal with the disease have to attend to.

Mr. Speaker, how do I know that? Well, this is personal to me. My son Will was diagnosed at age 4 with type 1 diabetes. He is 13 now, Mr. Speaker, and he has grown up with this disease. I can tell you that we get up every night, my wife in particular, as I stay down here in Washington, D.C., still monitoring his blood sugar by poking his fingers and taking his blood at 2 a.m. every time he eats just to see where his sugars are going to be.

This is a disease that has not been cured, but I tell you I am confident, Mr. Speaker, that we will find a cure. We need to find a cure. We work in our household with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, JDRF. It is a great organization that dedicates a significant majority of its funds to research for a cure for type 1 diabetes.

Just last week, Mr. Speaker, at a town hall that I held at Fayette, New York, back in upstate New York, I had a young lady 5 years old come and speak before us and talk about diabetes and how it impacts her since she was diagnosed at the age of 3.

This is a disease, Mr. Speaker, that we have the ability, in my opinion, to find a cure. We need to work together in a bipartisan basis. I am vice chair of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus. It is the largest caucus here in Washington, D.C. The focus on education and awareness of diabetes cannot just occur in November, but it must occur every day.

I urge everyone to be aware of the risk factors and discuss your individual risks with your doctor, your health care provider. And my heartfelt thanks go out to all the providers and the parents and the caregivers of each and every person associated with somebody with this disease.

Working together, my son, Will, in his lifetime, will have a cure and won't have to deal with this disease every day. Please, take a moment, recognize this disease, and in November, in particular, be aware of what diabetes is all about.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment made in order under the rule.

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that amendment No. 3 printed in part B of House Report 113-271 be modified by the form I have placed at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I have a straightforward amendment to H.R. 2728, which I am offering on a bipartisan basis with my colleague from California (Mr. Costa).

Our amendment will direct the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study on the number of jobs created from shale development in America. In addition, the study will look at the impact that shale production has had on energy prices and State and Federal revenues.

Mr. Chairman, this is a straightforward, simple amendment to quantify and document the economic benefits from shale development in America.

As I serve on the Natural Gas Caucus, as well as the Manufacturing Caucus, I can tell you that the development of natural gas in America has put us on a course to have a manufacturing rebirth and renaissance here in the United States. It is consistent with my philosophy that we need to build it here and sell it there, and this amendment will quantify on the Federal level the economic benefits that are associated with the development of this resource not only from the direct jobs of producing the resource, but the indirect and secondary jobs in the United States manufacturing sector, as well as all the other jobs that would support the development of this resource that we have been blessed with here in America.

I yield to the gentleman.

I thank the gentleman for that acceptance of the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Costa), my cosponsor on this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, at this point in time, I would just like to note, in this Chamber you have a gentleman from California and a gentleman from New York standing together to highlight the game- changing economic impact of the development of this natural resource. I believe this amendment will clearly articulate how this goes to create a manufacturing rebirth, a job renaissance here in America. I join with him in this amendment, and I urge all my colleagues to support the Reed-Costa amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the effort that we took today, this afternoon, in this Chamber with the passage of the Keep Your Health Plan Act. This act honors a promise that the President made to all of America, you can keep your health care if you want, and that is what we did today.

I have been hearing, Madam Speaker, from constituents all over western New York, in my district. Two, in particular, I spoke to yesterday. One, from Ithaca, New York, after meeting with a navigator as a small business owner, trying to get health insurance because he received a cancelation notice that they were going to lose their insurance this January 1, told me that he decided to forego health insurance next year because of the cost associated with it.

I talked to a young man from Bath, New York, who told me, My employer just notified me that my hours are going to be cut from 35 hours a week down to 25 hours, and he didn't even receive health insurance from that individual, but yet was told it was because of ObamaCare, and they would need to put him under a part-time status and lose those hours of work. Well, those hours of work are real dollars out of his pocket and his family's pocket.

I applaud the bipartisan effort we did today. Thirty-nine Democrats joined us on this side to allow Americans to keep their health care.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a true American hero, Colonel Tom Nettling. Colonel Nettling had a distinguished military career with the U.S. Army that spanned twenty-five years before passing away after a courageous battle with cancer on August 29, 2013.

Colonel Nettling was a 1960 graduate of Central Dauphin High School before completing his Bachelor's degree at Shippensburg University in 1964. Less than ten years later, he completed his Master's from the University of Southern California. Colonel Nettling has the rare distinction of joining the U.S. Army as a private and retiring as a full Colonel. He was well respected among his peers as a combat war veteran of the Vietnam War and was ultimately given the honor of leading at both the company and battalion levels.

In addition to his advancement through the Army, Colonel Nettling was the recipient of numerous awards and decorations including the Bronze Star on three separate occasions, a Purple Heart, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm, and the Combat Infantryman's Badge to name a few.

Additionally, Colonel Nettling was a lifelong member of the Army War College Foundation and a proud member of the American Legion, the Elks Club, and the NRA. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, golfing, and spending time with his family. Colonel Nettling leaves behind his wife of forty- five years, Linda, two children, four grandchildren, and many more close family members.

I can state with great pride that Colonel Nettling was interred at Arlington National Cemetery will full military honors on November 6, 2013. It is but a small token of our appreciation for a man who admirably served our nation over such a long and distinguished career.